Top 8 Best Travel Sickness Tablets: How to Choose the Right One for Your Journey

Do you start to feel dizzy just minutes into a car ride or boat trip? Or maybe your stomach turns before the wheels even start moving? If you’ve ever had to fight off nausea while traveling, you’re not alone. Travel sickness affects millions each year. Children aged 2 to 12 are often the most affected, and women, especially during pregnancy, are even more likely to experience motion-related discomfort.

Whether it’s a road trip, long-haul flight, or ocean cruise, the misery of travel sickness can ruin even the most exciting vacation. Having the right travel sickness tablets in your bag can turn a dreaded ride into a smooth one. With many over-the-counter travel sickness medication options available, finding the best tablets for travel sickness depends on knowing what works, how it works, and when to take it.

This guide goes through the top options, how they work, and who they’re for. We’ll also discuss what to look for when shopping and how to combine tablets with natural tips for stronger relief.

What Is Motion Sickness and Why Does It Happen

Motion sickness begins when the brain gets mixed messages from different body parts. Your eyes say one thing, your ears another, and your muscles say something else. This confusion causes nausea, dizziness, and sometimes vomiting.

You might be in a plane seat, eyes fixed on a still tray table, but your inner ear senses every drop and turn. Or in a cruise cabin, unable to see the waves but feeling every sway. It’s this mismatch that leads to motion sickness.

Common symptoms include:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Pale or clammy skin

• Dizziness or light-headedness

• Sweating

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Headaches

Once it starts, it’s hard to stop. That’s why motion sickness tablets are often used before symptoms kick in.

Top 8 Travel Sickness Tablets You Should Consider

Let’s walk through the best tablets for travel sickness, looking at how each one works, how to take it, and who it fits best.

1. Dimenhydrinate (Brand: Dramamine)

This is a widely used over-the-counter travel sickness medication that prevents nausea and dizziness. Adults can take 50–100 mg about 30 minutes before travel and every 4–6 hours afterward. Don’t exceed 400 mg per day.

Pros: Works well for most people.
Cons: May cause drowsiness, dry mouth, and blurry vision.

2. Meclizine (Brand: Bonine or Antivert)

Pills for motion sickness that come in chewable or standard form. Dosage varies from 12.5 mg to 50 mg, taken once daily. It is longer-acting than Dramamine.

Pros: Less sedating for some users.
Cons: Still causes drowsiness for others. Not for children under 12.

3. Cyclizine (Brand: Marezine)

Another non-prescription choice is used an hour before travel. 50 mg per dose, with a 200 mg maximum per day. Not recommended for children under 6.

Pros: Good for quick relief.
Cons: Similar side effects to others, dry mouth, sleepiness.

4. Promethazine (Brand: Phenergan)

A stronger, prescription motion sickness medication for adults. Taken 30–60 minutes before travel in 25 mg doses. Effective for long or repeated trips.

Pros: Good for severe cases.
Cons: Can cause sleepiness, nervousness, or double vision.

5. Diphenhydramine (Brand: Benadryl)

Best known as an allergy med, this one also acts as a travel sickness tablet. Take 30 minutes before travel and repeat at meals or bedtime.

Pros: Dual use (allergies and nausea).
Cons: Very sedating. Avoid driving.

6. Scopolamine (Transderm Scop Patch)

A prescription motion sickness tablet, available as a patch behind the ear. Releases 1 mg over 72 hours. Apply 6–8 hours before travel.

A Cochrane review (1,025 participants across 14 trials) found that Scopolamine reduced nausea risk by 47% compared to placebo.

Pros: Long-acting. Ideal for cruises or long trips.
Cons: Can cause dry mouth, blurry vision. Not for kids or the elderly without doctor supervision.

7. Antivert (also Meclizine-based)

Used for dizziness and nausea relief while traveling. Take an hour before departure. Some use it for vertigo as well.

Pros: One of the best motion sickness tablets for long journeys.
Cons: May affect coordination and alertness.

8. Children’s Travel Sickness Tablets

Many brands like Dramamine offer kid-safe options with lower doses. Meclizine and Dimenhydrinate both come in forms suited for kids over 2 or 6, depending on the brand.

Pros: Designed for young stomachs.
Cons: Always check dosing and age restrictions.

Comparison: Best Motion Sickness Tablets for Different Needs

How to Choose the Right Travel Sickness Tablets

Picking the right tablet isn’t just about symptoms. You need to think about:

• Duration of travel – Flights or cruises need long-acting options.

• Age and weight – Always check the child's dosage.

• Sensitivity to sedatives – Go for non-drowsy motion sickness tablets if staying alert is important.

• Underlying health conditions – Liver issues? Asthma? Glaucoma? Always talk to a pharmacist or doctor.

You can also try anti-nausea tablets for travel that double up with other uses, like allergy meds or vertigo support.

Natural Travel Sickness Remedies That Actually Work

If you prefer alternatives or want to add to your tablets, these can help:

• Ginger – Ginger root, tea, or candy helps calm the stomach.

• Acupressure wristbands – Like Sea-Bands, which target the P6 pressure point on the wrist.

• Peppermint – In tea or oil form.

• Carbonated drinks – Ginger ale and lemon soda can soothe queasiness.

• Dry crackers – Good when you can’t stomach a meal.

Many people find that combining light snacks, fresh air, and behavioral techniques like cognitive distraction or slow breathing reduces symptoms naturally.

Travel Tips to Prevent Motion Sickness

A few easy changes can go a long way. Try these:

• Face forward – Always sit facing the direction of motion.

• Focus on the horizon – Avoid screens or reading.

• Sit in low-motion spots – Over the wing (plane), near the front (bus), or center (ship).

• Keep your head still – Use a headrest.

• Breathe slowly and deeply – Helps calm nerves and reduce nausea.

• Stay cool – Open a vent or bring a small fan.

• Avoid greasy or heavy meals – Before travel, go light.

For some, even the smell of food can trigger nausea. So keep your environment clean, distraction-free, and relaxed.

Final Thoughts 

If you’re heading out on a road trip or cruising across the ocean, the right motion sickness tablets can help you stay calm, comfortable, and nausea-free. 

From quick-acting options to long-term patches, there’s a solution for every type of traveler. Combine smart pill use with simple lifestyle tricks, and you’ll make motion sickness a thing of the past.